1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved clothes dryer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a clothes dryer having an interior coated with a low emissive coating and having a supplemental infrared radiant energy source to increase the rate of heat transfer from the wet clothes, and thereby decrease the drying time of the dryer.
2. Problems in the Art
Conventional clothes dryers typically utilize forced convection heating to dry clothes in a rotating drum. While such convection drying is effective, it is not necessarily energy efficient. The convection drying method is also limited as the cloth temperature approaches the wet-bulb temperature in the dryer drum.
The use of infrared radiant energy to dry clothes in a clothes dryer has been described, but has not been commercially successful. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,434,886 discloses a clothes dryer which uses near infrared ray lamps to dry clothes. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 2,453,859 discloses a clothes dryer using near infrared ray lamps for quickly drying clothes and cooling plates for removing moisture from the air. Infrared energy heats the water, as opposed to convection energy, which heats the air. The infrared drying method is not limited to the wet-bulb temperature.
It is well known that water molecules have stretching and bending bonding characteristics. By using a true infrared wavelength, the stretching and bending bonding characteristics of the water molecules can be maximized. By stretching and bending the water molecules, the molecule absorbs energy to drive moisture from the clothes, thus drying the clothes.
One problem encountered with the prior art clothes dryers is the loss of a large percentage of the convection or radiant energy through the wall of the rotatable drum in the dryer. The loss of this radiant energy produces inefficient drying, which increases operating costs of the dryer.
3. Features of the Invention
A general feature of the present invention is a clothes dryer that has an emissive coating on the interior surface of the rotatable drum or basket.
A further feature of the present invention is the provision of the emissive coating having a low radiance emissive value on the interior wall of the rotatable drum of a clothes dryer.
A further feature of the present invention is the provision of a clothes dryer having both an infrared heat source and a convectional heat source.
A further feature of the present invention is the provision of an emissive coating on the interior surface of the access door of the clothes dryer.
A further feature of the present invention is the provision of a clothes dryer having an increased rate of drying.
A further feature of the present invention is the provision of a clothes dryer with an increased rate of heat transfer.
A further feature of the present invention is the provision of a clothes dryer that is more energy efficient.
A further feature of the present invention is the provision of a dryer with a rotatable drum that minimizes energy escaping from the drum.
A further feature of the present invention is a less expensive method of drying clothes.